Quit repeating "Judge Not!" We Are Suppose To "Judge"!

"Judge not lest you be judged..."

The popular Western Interpretation of this scripture includes:

"Live and let live."

"If it feels good, do it."

and...

"If a man calls himself a man of God, prophet, healer, and has a great following, don't say anything bad about him."

 Rather than proof-text the appropriate scripture references, let me just trust your desire to do a concordance search on the word "JUDGE". You will find that there are numerous usages and the definitions are numerous as well. You will find that there is a certain biblical criteria that requires us to judge. The Judgment that is prohibited and the most quoted is that found in the book of Matthew. This is a personal judgment akin to private murmuring with the intent to disclaim a fellow Christian. In this sense the warning is clear that to judge another has direct repercussions. Others will judge you as well, because we are all sinners.

You will also discover, however, that we are commanded to judge according to the truth. That judgment includes those who would say they are Christians and yet do not hold to the basic tenants of the faith as preserved by the Church. In this instance, judgment isn't an attitude but, rather, an understanding or, in some cases, a public proclamation that the subject of the judgment is a heretic. For this purpose were the Councils of the Church called and for this purpose did God place those with prophetic mantles in the body of Christ. Without this type of Judgment, we would have fewer Martyrs. The misconstruing of these two types of judgments causes some to take great offense when another points out modern day heretics. "Don't judge", they say. "Do judge", the scripture says.

 Case in point is Benny Hinn. I made the comment to a Charismatic Protestant friend the other day that Benny Hinn is a heretic. He took great exception and gave me a quick lesson on not judging and accepting everyone as a brother. Both points of his lesson were contrary to the scriptures and the Tradition of the Church. Using the strong word, heretic, in its accurate meaning, suggests that Benny Hinn does not hold to at least one basic tenant of Christianity. I do judge him as should my Protestant friend. Judge by his own words. Here is Benny Hinn on the nature of God and the structure of the Trinity: 

"God the Father, ladies and gentleman, is a person and He is a triune being by Himself, separate from the Son and the Holy Ghost. See, God the Father is a person, God the Son is a person, God the Holy Ghost is a person; but each one of them is a triune being by himself. If I can shock you and maybe I should, there's nine of them!" (Oct. 13, 1990 Orlando Christian Center Broadcast)

ALL seven of the ecumenical Councils of the Church were called to fight some heresy having to do with the nature of Christ. It was settled long ago. Father, Son, Holy Spirit are "Three in One". Benny Hinn blatantly claims that he is presenting a doctrine that no one has heard before. That is because it has never been "believed at all times, in all places, by all the Church." Sorry friends, we can talk all day about whether or not tongues still exist, or the state of Christian TV, etc, but mess with the nature of Christ and the Trinity and you have left the faith. By his own words, Benny Hinn is a heretic. By the way, his blood brothers in similar heresy are numerous but include the likes of Crefflo Dollar and Paul Crouch.

"Jesus did not come as God. He came as man, and He did not come perfect." (Crefflo Dollar Dec. 8. 2000)

"God draws no distinction between Himself and us. God opens up the Godhead and brings us into it." (Paul Crouch TBN 11/91)

You had better judge lest you too are counted with the Heretics.

It's the Ethos

Ethos: "The fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions of a people or period."

I am part of a men's bible and prayer group in my community. Because my own local Orthodox Church is slow and void to provide such an outlet in our community, I have the opportunity to establish friendships, go on outings, share prayer requests, read exhortation passages from the Bible, smoke a lot of cigars, and generally be "men" with a group of Protestants. (Some of my Church of Christ friends might take exception with my calling them Protestants, but for lack of a better word, they are non-Orthodox.)

My Protestant friends have begun to rib me, with good nature, about my being Orthodox. I deem that their ribbing comes from a place of uncertainty about what I believe. I am the odd man out, being the only non-protestant. I have made a concerted effort not to mention Orthodoxy or to discuss the wide Protestant/Catholic divide. Since the group does not endeavor as a "bible study group", we have not ventured into doctrines of the faith. I do have one up on the group being that I was Protestant for the first 49 years of my life.

I have become aware lately, however, of a wall of communication on the most basic level even when discussing the most elementary of scriptures. It is an excepted Protestant practice that each man gets to interpret the meaning of the scriptures based on his own understanding. The phrase "I believe" is common, or "for me I think it says..." It is a given in this Protestant ethos that there will be differences of interpretation from denomination to denomination. Each man seems to pride themselves in their ability to "get along" and accept one another's views, or at least their right to have a view. The wall I hit was in a discussion concerning the fact that one can find doctrinal conflict between individuals in the same church. As an Orthodox Christian I sit quietly amazed that such is the case. I am also amazed that such common place conflict doesn't bring more awareness that there is something inherently wrong with this ethos. How do I enter in to such a conversation? How do I tell them that their's is an ethos brought on by individualism and division and is only about 400+ years old? How do I tell them that the Orthodox Church has no such dil

emma, that the truth was established 2000 years ago and thus there is no debate on doctrinal issues? How do I tell them that the same unified church who canonized the very scriptures over which they are puzzling, also preserved what they mean...once and for all? How do I tell them that the ethos of the original Christian church is one of doctrinal unity, community, and preservation of the teachings of the Apostles? How do I say any of this without commenting on the blight that is the idea of Sola Scriptura? How can anyone come to the fullness of the truth without first knowing where the pillar of truth is found?

"These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is

the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."

1 Timothy 3:14-15

We have seen the true light.

We have received the heavenly Spirit;

we have found the true faith,

in worshiping the undivided Trinity;

for He hath saved us.

Preserve, oh God, the Holy Orthodox Faith

and all Orthodox Christians

unto ages of ages amen.

Mike Huckabee-Candidate for President

I commend to you my former Governor, employer, and friend, Mike Huckabee. I can attest to his character, conservatism, compassion, morality, honesty, intense intelligence, wisdom, amazing communication skills, and ability to cross party lines while keeping his principles intact. Mr. Huckabee is what you see. There is no hidden personality, mask, or persona. He was a Republican Governor in a Democratic state and won election and reelection by wide margins. He speaks from the heart and not from the script. He is a balance of grit and diplomacy in this time of peril and division. Mike Huckabee's faith in God is genuine and consistent. His is a personal faith not a political convenience. Journey to Orthodoxy commends this Baptist brother from Hope, Arkansas. He is the real deal in a time when such is needed in our country. Now if only he was Orthodox...(Just kidding Governor... But, if you need this good Southern Baptist boy, turned Orthodox, for anything, just call!)

MIKE HUCKABEE'S STATEMENT OF BELIEF IN GOD

(Republican Debate)

MR BLITZER: Governor Huckabee, at a previous debate, you and two of your colleagues indicated that you do not believe in evolution. You’re an ordained minister. What do you believe? Is it the story of creation as it is reported in the Bible or described in the Bible?

MR. HUCKABEE: It’s interesting that that question would even be asked of somebody running for president. I’m not planning on writing the curriculum for an eighth-grade science book. I’m asking for the opportunity to be president of the United States.

But you’ve raised the question, so let me answer it. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth.” To me it’s pretty simple, a person either believes that God created this process or believes that it was an accident and that it just happened all on its own.

And the basic question was an unfair question because it simply asks us in a simplistic manner whether or not we believed — in my view — whether there’s a God or not. Well let me be very clear: I believe there is a God. I believe there is a God who was active in the creation process. Now, how did he do it, and when did he do it, and how long did he take? I don’t honestly know, and I don’t think knowing that would make me a better or a worse president.

But I’ll tell you what I can tell the country. If they want a president who doesn’t believe in God, there’s probably plenty of choices. But if I’m selected as president of this country, they’ll have one who believes in those words that God did create. And as the words of Martin Luther, “Here I stand. I can do no other.” And I will not take that back.

MR. BLITZER: Governor, but — but — (applause) — I think the specific question — the specific question is do you believe literally it was done in six days and it occurred 6,000 years ago?

MR. HUCKABEE: No, I did answer that, Wolf. I said I don’t know. My point is, I don’t know; I wasn’t there. (Laughter.) But I believe whether God did it in six days or whether he did it in six days that represented periods of time, he did it, and that’s what’s important.

www.mikehuckabee.com